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Panic-stricken Californians raced to escape mudslides and climbed trees to safety from dangerous floodwaters as historic Tropical Storm Hilary barreled through the region, leaving scenes of devastation in its wake. The Golden State’s first tropical storm in 84 years, Hilary drenched some areas with more than half an average year’s worth of rain, creating dangerous driving conditions that caused multiple vehicles to spin out of control, and in some cases, even crash. Harrowing video shot on northbound 5 Freeway in Castaic, Los Angeles County, shows multiple vehicles fishtailing and hydroplaning on a flooded road, as reported by KTLA. A white...

CODY, Wyo., June 13 (Reuters) - Record flooding and rockslides unleashed by an unprecedented burst of heavy rains prompted the rare closure on Monday of all five entrances to Yellowstone National Park at the start of the summer tourist season, the park superintendent said. The entire park, spanning parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, will remain closed to visitors, including those with lodging and camping reservations, at least through Wednesday, as officials inspect damage to roads, bridges and other facilities. The closures come as Yellowstone was gearing up to celebrate its 150th anniversary year, and as local communities heavily dependent...

SEATTLE (AP) — Record rainfall and darkness has hit Seattle as a major storm begins to lift across western Washington on the first day of winter, though the region is still at risk for flooding, mudslides and avalanches.

Shimla: Massive mudslides hit the Chandigarh-Shimla national highway between Parwanoo and Solan towns in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday owing to heavy overnight rains, that led to traffic snarls and posed a serious threat to motorists. The movement of traffic was hampered almost throughout the day due to massive landslides along the highway in Solan district. Motorists said the maximum landslips were on a 30-km stretch between Parwanoo and Kumarhatti, where over 20 km was either damaged or piled with boulders and muck. They said the falling debris threatens their safety while travelling through this stretch that has been excavated recently...

Thousands of residents in a Southern California county where 21 people died from mudslides in January were advised on Wednesday to leave their homes, ahead of a rainstorm that officials said could again trigger a cascade of mud and rocks. The warning, which is one step below a mandatory order, affects about 30,000 people in Santa Barbara County, said Kelly Hoover, a spokeswoman for the county sheriff's office. "If at any time people feel threatened, take immediate action. Do not wait for a notification," the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said in a written statement. The latest warning covers areas...

Barring weather conditions and unforeseen circumstances, it is anticipated that most major utilities as well as County roads will be back in service in the areas of Montecito outside the areas impacted by the flood and debris flow. These are areas bounded by Montecito Creek, San Ysidro Creek and Romero Creek. Areas impacted by the flood and debris flow will require extensive efforts to provide utilities and road access. Once the utilities are restored in the other areas, decisions will be made on the rapid return of residents to their homes wherever possible.

Summary: 280,000 areas of burned out areas of steep hills and mountains above populated areas as 2-6 inches of rain falls in a short time When: Monday and Tuesday Where: southern CA burn scar areas including the huge 440 sq mile Thomas burn scar in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties , also the Creek fire burn scar Discussion: The largest fire in CA history is almost fully contained. A strong wet storm system will be moving into the area...with 1-3 inches likely around the coast and valleys . However south winds just above the surface will crash into the higher...

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) -- Police in Bolivia say a raging river has swept at least 30 people to their deaths after swamping a bus and a truck that tried to cross. Chuquisaca police chief Iver Marquez says volunteer rescuers have recovered 30 bodies so far, and more people are feared missing. Thirteen people managed to reach safety on dry land.

Foothill areas north of Los Angeles are under a flash flood watch as another winter storm approaches, threatening burn areas with more mudslides and prompting mandatory evacuations for hundreds of homes. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to drop between 1/3 of an inch to 2 inches of rain starting Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday night, said forecasters with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Though the storm will be patchy and "showery," forecasters said it could dump more than a half-inch of rain an hour in some areas. Los Angeles County authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders Monday night for more than...

Desperate tourists are paying up to $500 (£300) to get on helicopters out of the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru after torrential rains set off mudslides that have killed up to ten people. Britons are among the 1,500 still trapped in the area three days after the heaviest rains in 15 years flooded the area over the weekend. Rudy Chalco, a tour guide with a group of elderly Europeans, said that the rescuers were not complying with the government's orders to prioritise the evacuation of children, the elderly and sick, and that some were paying to skip...

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. (CBS) ― [Storm-battered Southern California is beginning to dry out after a wild week of storms that flooded streets, spawned at least a few tornados, and left a trail of damage, but mudslides could still be a concern, but with predictions for more showers Friday, the supersaturated ground threatened to send damaging debris downhill. Officials have said the risk of mudslides can last up to 72hours after the rains have stopped. Hundreds of evacuees forced from homes in foothill communities are expected to learn sometime Friday whether it's safe for them to return home. Authorities said...

A powerful new storm was pushing ashore this morning as officials prepared for more mudslides and coastal flooding. According to the National Weather Service, today's storm -- the third in as many days -- is expected to dump 1 to 2 inches of rain in the L.A. basin and valley areas and 3 to 4 inches in foothill and mountain areas. The brunt of the storm is supposed to hit around noon. Officials issued a flash flood watch and thunderstorm warning for the region, forecasting sustained rainfall and fierce winds. Forecasters say the strongest drenching could occur Thursday, with up...

The first in a series of powerful Pacific storms began sweeping through Southern California today, causing hazardous driving conditions and high surf and prompting flash-flood warnings for fire-ravaged hillsides. “It looks like we’re definitely in for a rainy week,” said Bill Patzert, a meteorologist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge. “It’s going to get heavier and messier.” Experts said the system -- consisting of three major storms -- could be among the most powerful to batter the region since 2005, when record rains drenched the area, causing havoc on roads and hillsides. The National Weather Service was...

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. (AP) ― Click to enlarge1 of 1 All the catch basins designed to keep mud and debris from sliding downhill are full. CBS Related Stories Command Post Established For Storm Emergencies(1/19/2010) Authorities have ordered the evacuation of 64 homes in the Paradise Valley area of La Canada Flintridge. Another 42 homeowners were told to be ready to leave if necessary. The neighborhood was scarred by last summer's massive wildfire and officials aren't taking chances as heavy rains continue to pound the area.

Twelve years ago, the idea of a giant mudslide barreling down the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena was considered only a distant possibility. Nevertheless, the Devil's Gate Dam underwent a major enhancement that took two years to complete and enabled one of the oldest dams in Los Angeles County to withstand a potential massive debris flow. At the time, engineers thought the improvements might be overkill because conditions would never be extreme enough to test the dam's strength, at least not in their lifetimes. "Not a chance," recalled Brad Boman, engineering manager of water services at Pasadena Water and Power. But...

ABC news just reported that California has been spared from the EXPECTED mud slides that were to have caused catastrophic conditions brought on by recent rainfall. Dadgum, a scare crisis lost to reality.

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENTNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA802 AM PST MON DEC 15 2008 CAC059-065-071-151715-/O.CON.KSGX.FF.W.0054.000000T0000Z-081215T1715Z//00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/SAN BERNARDINO CA-RIVERSIDE CA-ORANGE CA-802 AM PST MON DEC 15 2008 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 AM PST FOR THYEFREEWAY BURN AREA IN NORTH CENTRAL ORANGE...EXTREME NORTHWESTERNRIVERSIDE AND EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES... AT 800 AM PST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TOINDICATE RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...MOVING ACROSS THE FREEWAY COMPLEX.HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO BRING A THREAT FOR FLOODING OR DEBRISFLOWS THROUGH 9 15 AM. LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO YORBALINDA...AND PORTIONS OF BREA AND ANAHEIM. URGENT...

Nearly 3 ½ years ago, Weyerhaeuser asked state officials for approval to clear-cut 106 acres on a steep mountain slope fronting on Stillman Creek in Lewis County. This was a slide-prone drainage. But a Weyerhaeuser geologist found "no potentially unstable areas" in the area to be harvested and the state approved the logging. Earlier this month, the huge storm that enveloped Southwest Washington triggered numerous slides on this slope. Slides crashed into Stillman Creek, a major tributary of the South Fork of Chehalis River, adding to the destructive mix of mud, wood debris and floodwaters that inundated homes and farms...

LEGASPI - At least 469 people were dead or missing after rivers of mud and volcanic ash triggered by typhoon Reming (international codename Durian) swamped villages in Albay province, disaster officials said Saturday. The National Disaster Coordinating Council said the victims were all in the Bicol region, which bore the full brunt of the storm on Thursday. All the deaths were around the Mount Mayon volcano where mud and ash flows driven by torrential rain swamped villages on Thursday night. ~ snip ~

(2nd UPDATE) MUDFLOWS from the slopes of the Mayon volcano, triggered by heavy rains from typhoon "Reming" (international codename: Durian) buried at least eight villages, killing up to 20 people and prompting search and rescue operations for an unspecified number of missing, local and disaster officials said Friday. But the Associated Press, quoting a report by Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal, said that up to 100 people may have been killed or injured in one village after it was swamped by rain-soaked volcanic debris. Padang is on the foothills of the volcano, which erupted in July, depositing millions of...